UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor makes his pro boxing debut in a few short days against Floyd Mayweather.
According to UFC fighter/analyst Dan Hardy, if McGregor pulls the upset over Mayweather, then the sport of boxing is going to be dealt a hard hit.
“I think there is some relief on the boxing side because Conor did decide to call out the biggest name in their sport,” Hardy said to MMA Junkie. “As much as the boxing community may hate Floyd Mayweather, and I’m sure hates him even more for putting boxing in this position, they’ll be relieved that he’s still the best boxer on the planet and their representative. If Conor happens to put him down, he’ll have done what 49 boxers have not been able to do, and that’s a massive hit to boxing in general – especially given the fact that Mayweather is the greatest defensive boxer we’ve ever seen.”
McGregor would pull a massive upset if he can get past Mayweather, but the experience disadvantage and odds are fulling against the UFC star.
Hardy also says that boxers are no longer considered the only fighters in the combat sports world.
“You’ve got to think that, up until the emergence of mixed martial arts, boxers were fighters,” Hardy said. “If you were a boxer, you were considered a fighter, but now you’re not. If you’re a boxer, you’re a boxer, but if you’re an MMA practitioner, you are a fighter. That’s a strong difference there, because a lot of people get into boxing for the tough guy aspect, which is kind of diminished now when there’s someone who can kick you in the leg, take you down and strangle you.”
Conor McGregor versus Floyd Mayweather takes place on Saturday, August 26 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
